In good times and bad, the Indianapolis Indians continue to be a hit with local sports fans. The Indians scored a $1.23 million profit this year on $8.7 million in revenue, according to the publicly traded company’s most recent financial disclosure. That compares to a profit of $1.27 million on revenue of $8.22 million in 2007.

Revenue gains were offset by slight increases in expenses, with the most notable a $320,000 bump in advertising and promotion to $1.7 million. Grounds operation expenses were up slightly to $3.52 million and general and administrative expenses bumped up to $1.35 million.

As a result, Indians stockholders will get a dividend of $350 per share. That’s the same as last year, but up from $200 per share in 2006. The team is offering to buy back shares of stock currently for $21,328 per share. The stock, which is listed in the Pink Sheets, has traded for as high as $25,000 in the past year. Some stockholders believe the thinly traded stock is worth more than $30,000 per share. If you want to get in on the action, you might be a little hard pressed. There are only 774 shares outstanding. At $25,000 per share, that would value the team at $19.4 million.

There’s a reason why Indians stock is so valuable. It’s one of a dwindling number of sports properties that makes any money in Indianapolis. And it’s easily the most consistent.

Even in a year when the economy was less than stellar, the Indians saw increases in ticket revenue, concession sales and advertising income. Signboard advertising increased almost $100,000 from 2007, hitting $592,850. Promotional advertising revenue was up more than $130,000 to $858,827 and advertising in the team’s game-day souvenir program also was up. This shows that corporate Indiana understands the value of reaching this predictably solid audience.

This year the Indians drew 606,155, the team’s highest attendance mark since 2000. That put the team’s average attendance at 8,538 per game. If the economy continues to stagger, sports marketers think sports fans looking for relatively inexpensive entertainment options, could push the Indians attendance higher next season.

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Managing Editor

Schouten is an Indianapolis native and Indiana University graduate who joined IBJ in 2006 after stints at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Arizona Republic. He covered the real estate beat for most of those years, and launched the Property Lines blog, before taking over as managing editor in March 2013.

Schouten has been honored for investigative and enterprise reporting by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the Alliance of Area Business Publications and the Society of Professional Journalists in Indianapolis. During his tenure as moderator of Property Lines, the blog was recognized twice as the best among business journals by the AAPB.

Schouten serves as secretary of the board of governors of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and is set to serve as the organization's president in 2016. He is treasurer of the Indianapolis Press Club Foundation, and a board member of the Indianapolis Public Schools Education Foundation.

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